[News] Prologue Development Programme
Hello everyone!
Here’s a general overview of our story release programme for this year’s first semester, where we’ll focus on finishing the Prologue, leading up to our Early Access target at the end of June 2026.
As mentioned earlier, our team is splitting its focus among reworking the entire combat system, developing a new NPC Manager to improve performance and add life to the game, and, finally, delivering the narrative experience. This plan is built around splitting each month in half: the first half focuses on writing and reviewing scripts we have completed, followed by in-engine implementation and playtesting in the second half. To make sure we reduce the scope enough so we can deliver, we are focusing on quest logic and dialogues where the camera will be over Kalyskah’s shoulder, and only using cutscenes for the most pivotal story moments.
There are nine main quests left for us to finish the prologue and unite this story arc with the moment Kalyskah wakes up alone at the underground Temple. And here is an outline of when we are targeting the release of these key story arcs:
January (Second Half, what I’m working on at the moment)
Goal: Establish the key event that will then unlock the “problems” Kalyskah can see on the island. We added quests in which Kalyskah can see pirates committing bad deeds around the island, and they will be available before the ritual until we work on the Cargo Bay quest later in February. Once you get to that point in the storyline, you’ll understand why.
Story Arc: We begin with Black Rain Comes Down, which introduces a major public event in Tupelo and establishes a persistent world state that will be referenced in all future quests.
February
Goal: The Cargo Bay quest will serve as the narrative gateway, making quests like the Acolyte Kidnap and other pirate-related misconduct, currently visible, hidden until the Cargo Bay quest is successfully completed.
Story Arc: We implement Cargo at Bay Pt. I, which focuses on investigation and confrontation beats, driving the story into its first major crisis.
March
Goal: Deliver the core branching narrative and a major event (I’m not going to spoil!).
Story Arc: This is a crucial month, bringing the player choice element to the fore with Cargo at Bay Pt. II (including the Repair the Ships segments that are split into two quests based on what was chosen during the Black Rain ritual).
April
Goal: Implement the bridge between the mid-arc and the finale.
Story Arc: This month focuses on progression and continuity with Cargo at Bay Pt. III, Where the Anchor Drops (a confrontation at the Cove of the Broken Bell)
May
Goal: Implement the story climax and lock all main quest content.
Story Arc: The final main quests are implemented: Blood in the Water (involving a major investigation and discovery) and Point of No Return (the dramatic final confrontation and decision beat). This month also requires the full final area, the County of Lanegan, to be complete and ready.
June
Goal: Stabilise the full Prologue playthrough and prepare the Early Access build.
Work Focus is Polishment: We move entirely into a polish and stability phase, as the initial work on each quest will be done in major brushes, allowing us to tie and revise everything at once. By June, we’ll be replaying the prologue to tweak timing and camera work. The other areas will perform similar enhancements to the work completed during the first semester.
I hope that helps you understand how far we are from wrapping up the prologue content so we can move back to the storyline of Millhaven later this year!